Many typists or other persons using a keyboard often suffer forearm muscle strain by reason of their typing or key stroking over long periods of time. Carpal tunnel syndrome is an acute form of this type of strain or injury.
Wrist support devices, which help relieve the strain on the forearm muscles of a typist, are known. Typically existing support devices have been attached to the front end of the keyboard. Existing devices include support surfaces that are either approximately at the level of the keyboard front edge or below the front edge. There are problems with these existing types of wrist support devices.
The first problem is that the wrist supports are generally positioned too low, in relation to the keyboard, to provide adequate support for a keyboard user's wrists. These devices also provide only a small amount of support, and as noted, at a low position. Hence, keyboard user's may still suffer forearm muscle strain as a result of using these devices. Additionally, such users resting their wrists on these existing devices, are often not typing with correct form because the wrist support is too low.
The second problem with existing wrist support devices is that they are rigid. These devices do not flex sufficiently as a keyboard user applies pressure on the device while moving his or her wrists along the keyboard and while stretching his or her fingers to reach the keys on the upper rows of a keyboard. Because of their rigidity, these support devices can themselves contribute to forearm muscle strain. Such wrist supports are also uncomfortable.